[skeet]

The question with the 43s is hard to answer. I think the factro affecting their accuracy was the rifle itself..and of course the cartridges. Those rimmed rounds were hqrd to get accuracy with anyway..especially at the time they were made. A little less care in the assembly of the rifle etc . I love Win guns but they aren't always perfect of course. Most of the guns I had were in exc condition.ie bores good et al . but at a time when the 43 cost more than ...say a 722 or 700 in 222 the 218 and Hornets were left in the dust...at least as far as accuracy anyway. Also when those rifles were made, accuracy standards were a little different than later. People didn't expect as much then. I think that is why the Hornet and 218 chamberings, which are great little cartridges, kinda died out. Nothig shot like the 222 and 222 mags or even the 223 when it came out. I just know that the 43's in most flavors just didn't shoot great. I have a guy in the next town who wants to sell me a nice Marlin 1894 in 218..and I just don't want it. Rather make my own. Oh and when I loaded those rounds back then I tried all kinds of tricks..headspacing on the rim..shoulder neck sizing etc. Nothing made any difference. If I got 2 inches I had to be happy. They used to call the 43 a poor mans M-70...but it wasn't even close. Looks more like a rich mans m-69 to me. Heck I had a Winchester 65 lever gun once in 218 that shot as well as the 43s using a peep. But that was when I could see pretty well.